The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Awami League on Sunday was observing the fourth death anniversary of the party's former women affairs secretary Ivy Rahman, who died of injuries sustained in the Aug 21, 2004, grenade attack on an AL rally in the capital.

Family members and former colleagues offered flowers and prayers at her grave in Banani.

Husband and acting AL president Zillur Rahman, in an emotional tribute, said: "Ivy sacrificed her own life to save our leader Sheikh Hasina on the tragic day of the grenade attack. I have hardly been able to breathe since."

Zillur, repeating allegations that the then BNP-led four-party alliance government had been behind the grenade attack, demanded the caretaker government bring the culprits to book.

Ivy, mortally wounded during the blasts, was admitted to Dhaka Combined Military Hospital where she died two days later.

Members of Jatiya Mohila Porishad, Mohila Awami League, Jubo League and others paid respects at her grave Sunday.

A milad mehfil was scheduled to be held at Zillur Rahman's Gulshan house after asr prayers.

Ivy Rahman was born on July 7, 1944. Her father Jalaluddin Ahmed was the principal of Dhaka College.

UNB, Dhaka

Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam Sunday stressed the need for involving people from all sections to raise the fish production.

"We have to include all quarters from the society, especially the people who live in the village, to increase the fish production in the country," he told the inaugural ceremony of the 8-day Central Fisheries Fair-2008 at the Krishibid Institution premises.

He said that the productivity of fishes could be increased through recovering the lost wet lands, renovation of ponds and river dredging.

The Finance Adviser laid emphasis on adopting modern techniques in raising pisciculture.

"Once upon a time there was proverb that Bengalis live on fish and rice, but due to some constraints it is not applicable now," he said.

He said the demand for fishes has been mounting from growing population with higher per capita income. But the supply is declining in the market. He also claimed that the government success in reducing poverty has raised further the demand for fish.

The Adviser indicated that industrialization, construction of physical structure and alternative food gains production in the wet lands are the reasons for shrinking the fish production.

Fisheries and Livestock secretary Syed Ataur Rahman presided over the inaugural ceremony where special assistant to the Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar was present as the special guest.